Paul Stuart’s wondrous Autumn colours

I love Paul Stuart. Part of it is, as expressed recently in my Arnys interview, the joy of having a shop you travel to see. You can’t get Paul Stuart here. But you do have to love what that shop carries, and Paul Stuart always manages to create things that surprise and delight me.

It’s not bespoke (although see my interview with Mark Rykken) and so I won’t be buying the jackets. But there are always wonderful colours and textures in the socks, the ties, the gloves. Indeed the ground floor in New York is probably the best men’s accessories range in the world.

Although the Phineas Cole line is particularly good at innovation (see my interview with Ralph Auriemma of Phineas Cole), it is usually the main line that takes my fancy. The colours are classic, preppy, English country combinations but done better than pretty much anyone. It’s amazing how bad some English brands are at combining the bright cords, heavy tweeds and cashmere knits they stock.

Paul Stuart, for me, is inspiration, and always more for Autumn/Winter than Spring/Summer. The colours and textures are so much richer. And so, here are my favourites from this season, with a little commentary on each.

Wear bright red and mustard; bring them down to earth with brownThe green tweed of an overcoat is the perfect canvas for autumnal colours

This is a woman. But you should wear brown leather with grey flannel. And encourage your wife to dress like this

Mossy green for a tie; burnt orange in accessories

The orange of fallen leaves, that green tweed again and the shine of brown shoes

I wouldn’t recommend this much grey together, unless you want to make an impact. But the top half works wonderfullyI have written about this for a few years now. See post here on Paul Stuart A/W from back in 2008, for example.

Thank you, Simon. Speaking of trousers, I’m glad you included the female model because of her gorgeous pants. I wish some similar cuts would reappear for men as well and I actually think there might be a return to roomier trousers in the near future now. Don’t you think it would be a breath of fresh air to see again some straight pleats on the legs of the well dressed ? To me there is no esthetic ideal beyond the drawings of Laurence Fellows and I think that lady is closer to this ideal than any of the male models we see today.

Personally, I only like pleats on high waisted trousers (like those) which only really look good on men when there’s something over them (like a waistcoat). So for regular trousers, no I don’t wish a return to such styles

While we’re on the topic of trousers, may I thank you Simon for banging the drum about men needing to expand beyond jeans for casual trousers (I speak as a serial jean-wearer). Following this advice, I recently managed to nab a pair of Polo RL tan cords at Tk Maxx for £40, and then felt even happier when I saw the same ones at the Bond Street store for £180 a few days later. They fit beautifully, enough fabric at the top to make it over my thighs (same problem as you, also being a cyclist), while being very slim but straight in the bottom.

When I put them on, I couldn’t believe what I’d been missing out on – that a pair of trousers can be just as comfortable as tracksuit bottoms, whilst being easily smart enough to venture out of the house in. Over time, you forget just how hard, stiff, and unforgiving denim is. Now I plan to get some flannels and moleskins.

Could I ask two questions? Firstly, should such trousers have a break? Getting them hemmed at Atelier Colpani, we decided on a very slight break, rather than a bit shorter with no break at all. Which is right?

Secondly, what would be best to wear them with? I feel as though they’re not ‘anything goes with them’ trousers like jeans.

In case anyone is interested, the location for that shoot is Fonthill Castle in Doylestown, PA, USA. A really wonderful house/museum made of concrete and dreamed up by world traveler and tile maker Henry Chapman Mercer. (I used to be a docent there and would recognize the facade and interior anywhere.)

Paul Stuart is not bespoke but they recognise that when buying off the rack, alterations are a serious business. And because they are large, they carry a very wide range of sizes. And as you know the construction is very high quality. Therefore I wold not rule them out. Their suits weather better than much bespoke I have had. Voila.

I back you up entirely on the seriousness as regards alterations, and the sizing. I’m wearing a Paul Stuart shirt today that has collar size and sleeve length. It’s amazing how many places don’t do sleeve length any more

I smiled as I read your post, having ordered the driver’s cap shown in the first image the day after my catelogue came in the mail. Regarding your interview with Mr. Auriemma, did you ask who the target demographic for Phineas Cole is? I love the catalogue, but cannot for the life of me figure out what industry possesses bold-minded stick figure gentlemen capable of wearing these clothes. Aside from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, of course.

Simon,
I like Paul Stuart as well and consider the company’s taste level exceptional. I notice that they carry quite a wide selection of silk knit ties. Do you have an opinion on the quality and design of their knit ties?